FAA Unveils Draft Environmental Review for SpaceX’s Starship Launches from Kennedy Space Center

The draft report, released in early August, lays the groundwork for potential regulatory approval and marks a critical step in assessing the environmental, safety, and public impacts of SpaceX’s plans.

What SpaceX Is Proposing

SpaceX aims to establish a high-frequency Starship launch operation at LC-39A. Under the proposed action, the company could carry out:

• Up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches annually,
• Up to 44 Super Heavy booster landings per year,
• Up to 44 Starship landings, either back at KSC, on autonomous droneships, or via splashdowns in the Atlantic, Pacific, or Indian Oceans.

These launch and recovery operations would require a substantial expansion of existing infrastructure at the site, including new launch towers, landing pads, and support facilities. Notably, booster landings at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1—included in earlier proposals—are no longer part of the plan.

This represents a significant increase from the 24 launches covered in NASA’s 2019 Environmental Assessment, reflecting the evolution of the Starship program, its enhanced focus on reusability, and its increasingly central role in both commercial and NASA missions.

Why This Matters

The FAA's comprehensive review is part of its obligation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and involves input from several federal partners, including:

• NASA
• The U.S. Air Force
• S. Coast Guard
• S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• National Park Service
• The environmental assessment analyzes impacts across a broad range of categories, such as:
• Endangered species and habitats
• Air and water quality
• Marine mammals and fisheries
• Noise pollution
• Historic site preservation
• Public safety and coastal resilience

Given the scale and intensity of the proposed operations, this analysis is both wider and deeper than previous reviews for SpaceX activity at KSC.

Public Meetings and How to Get Involved

The FAA is actively seeking public input and has scheduled multiple public meetings—both in-person and virtual—as part of the draft EIS review process. These forums offer the public a chance to comment on the potential environmental impacts of the Starship expansion.

Scheduled Public Meetings:

• August 26, 2025 – Astronauts Memorial Foundation, KSC (1–3 PM & 6–8 PM ET)
• August 28, 2025 – Radisson Conference Center, Cape Canaveral (1–3 PM & 6–8 PM ET)
• September 3, 2025 – Virtual Meeting (6–8 PM ET), with a backup date of September 4
• The public comment period will close on September 22, 2025.

Where Things Stand Now

While SpaceX continues testing its Starship-Super Heavy system at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, the move to Florida would expand its operational footprint significantly. As of May 2025, nine Starship test flights had been conducted in Texas, with four meeting mission objectives.

At Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX has already begun construction of a “Gigabay” integration facility to support Starship processing and refurbishment. Launching from LC-39A would put Starship on the doorstep of NASA's Artemis program and within reach of commercial satellite markets, Moon missions, and interplanetary exploration.

Approval of the EIS is just one step in a complex regulatory process. Even with a positive environmental determination, SpaceX must still: Secure FAA launch licenses, Demonstrate compliance with public safety, risk mitigation, and insurance requirements and coordinate with other federal and state agencies for operational readiness.

If cleared, the expansion would turn LC-39A into a major Starship launch site, supporting Elon Musk’s long-term vision for Mars colonization and making low-cost space access a reality for a broad range of missions.

The FAA's review signals a pivotal shift at Kennedy Space Center—from its legacy role in human spaceflight to its potential future as a central hub for commercial space expansion. As the U.S. looks toward a more permanent presence on the Moon and ventures deeper into the solar system, Starship’s East Coast operations could reshape not just the Space Coast, but the trajectory of space exploration itself.

Residents, environmental advocates, industry stakeholders, and the general public are encouraged to participate in the ongoing review process. The decisions made in the coming months could have lasting implications for the environment, the economy, and the next generation of space pioneers.

By Azhar